Love Remains The Same
by rawpotato
Summary: A night out with the team leads to something else. HAD TO CHANGE THE RATING from K to T.... read and you shall understand.
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer: **I don't own Criminal Minds, or Love Remains the Same (Gavin Rossdale). Which is sad, because then I'd be rich... rich enough that I wouldn't have to write in my free time._

_**AN:** I dedicate this story to my friend Ilena2 (I don't actually think that's how her name is spelt. Anyways, she knows who she is. I hope. You should, you're smart, you'll figure it out.) Anyways, it's for her, because she asked me to. I hope the rest of you like it. I hope my friend likes it... A review would be nice._

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The day was dragging on, as if time had decided to take a break and rest for the day. Though the incessant ticking of the clock above his desk followed the usual passage of time, every time he looked at the clock only minutes had passed. Minutes that felt like hours dragged into Aaron Hotchners day, and fuelled the throbbing of the headache that pressed behind his eyes, and temples. There was no case that they had to solve, and his team had been in Quantico for three days. Though they knew that going out as a group would possibly lead to a call out, they had decided to have a night together. This was his moment. His chance to finally talk to Emily alone and maybe tell her of the turmoil that filled his heart.

_A thousand times I've seen you standing  
__Gravity like lunar landing  
__You make me wanna run till I find you_

Haley had left him more than a year ago, and if he were honest she had stopped loving him long before that. Though he had held on to the last, bitter moment, he had let her go. He'd loved her desperately once. However, that was when he was a teenager. As they had grown up, and gotten older that love had changed. His job, their child, and eventually what she saw as his betrayal all played a factor in that love being lost.

Then, he'd found Emily Prentiss. She had been in his life before Haley had left his, but once Haley had left, he'd shut his heart down, and closed the world off. Slowly, as he'd learned to open up, she was there, like a beacon for his lost soul. The flagrant lines of love song floated through his mind, _"You're a candle in the window on cold, dark winter's night."_ And he finally understood what the writer of the song had been feeling when those words had been penned. At one of his life's darkest moments she had been there, calling to him.

_I shut the world away from here  
__Drift to you, you're all I hear  
__As everything we know fades to black_

He'd been meaning to tell her of his feelings for some time. Either losing the courage at the last second, or being interrupted by another suitor to her heart, he'd never gone through with it. Like a moth to a flame he was drawn to her, her passion for life and the job infectious, but unlike any moth being drawn in he was well aware of being burnt by the flame. It's not that he didn't trust Emily, with all his life he trusted her, which was part of his problem. He'd been burned by blinded love once, which was one time to many as far as he was concerned. Naivety had led to him believing that he and Haley would be together forever, we was determined to open his eyes the next time around.

Truthfully his eyes were open. Open all the time, and he always saw her, smiling, beautiful Emily. But with a backdrop of crime and anguish that he hated. Warring emotions in one field of vision was very confusing, and conflicting, especially when it contained something so pure, Emily, compared to violent crime.

_Half the time the world is ending  
__Truth is I am done pretending_

The paperwork on his desk was complete, reviewed and revised, and he was passing the time staring out his window. His team, more his family than friends, were all gathered in the pit. Reid sat at his desk, doing more physics magic, which brought a smile to Aarons face as the other five of them giggled with laughter. JJ, Emily and Garcia were huddled together, no doubt discussing shopping plans, or how cute Henry was. Morgan and Rossi were trying to convince Reid to show them the trick, but Reid was going on about a magician's code of silence and what not. The sight warmed his heart, and quelled the whispers in his head that rang out in Strauss' voice. She had it in for him, and she went at him threw his team, something that he did not appreciate.

"Hey-O Boss man." Garcia's voice dug him out of his reprieve and he looked into his doorway. There, in all of her techno colour glory, she stood smiling at him. "It's five o'clock; we are ready to hit the road."

"Okay, thanks." He stood quickly and straightened his desk as she walked away. Looking through his window once more, he saw his team getting ready to leave, bags and jackets in hand. They were going straight out for dinner, and then some scheme that Morgan and Garcia had planned.

_I, never thought that I  
__Had anymore to give  
__You're pushing me so far  
__Here I am without you  
__Drink, to all that we have lost  
__Mistakes we have made  
__Everything will change  
__But, love remains the same_

In his government issued SUV he wondered what would happen tonight. He knew that laughter would abound as the alcohol flowed, the jokes and snide comments would also flow freely, all covered in a thick layer of love. A moratorium of work and intra team profiling had been placed over the night, and Aaron wondered what they would talk about. Elle had been right those five years ago, even when they weren't talking about work, they were talking about another case, another crime, another killer. He knew it was because it was what they were good at, but it wasn't who they were.

It had been far too long since they had been out together as a group, and Aaron had missed the camaraderie that being together evoked. Anything that brought them all closer together was a good thing in his mind.

The other worries on his mind filled him with dread. He was a man of his word, and he would keep his promise to himself and talk to Emily tonight. Alone, and privately so as to ensure that he would truly say what was on his mind. He wasn't normally a coward, but he lacked a certain amount of courage when it came to his feelings and sharing them. It had been so long since he'd felt this way, and because he'd written himself off as a man unworthy of love, he wasn't sure he was ready for the changes that would come with a relationship with Emily.

_Find a place where we escape  
__Take you with me for a space  
__The city bus sounds just like a fridge  
__I walk the streets through seven bars  
__I have to find just where you are  
__The faces seem to blur  
__They're all the same_

Dinner had been magnificent. The food was incredible, the talk had been boisterous and loud, and they had all had a lot of fun, as far as he could tell. Now they were at some small hidden bar, and in a weird sense of déjà vu, they had separated. JJ and Garcia were hustling some poor suckers at the dart board. Garcia luring them in with her weirdness, and JJ going straight for the triple-20. Men were fools for good looking woman. He should know.

Reid had found a group of people who were just as fact retaining as him, and they shared statistics and facts about shows he had seen, but couldn't remember anything about. Morgan, in his usual fashion had been asked to dance, and had gone willingly surrounded by several young ladies.

He, Rossi and Emily had stayed at a high bar table, watching the group unfurl and disperse to whatever means of poison called to them.

"I know we aren't supposed to profile tonight, but what does this say about us? The three of us are sitting around while the others are having fun?" Aaron asked, speaking slightly louder than usual, hoping that his friends had heard. Emily was sitting close to him, a fact that he was enjoying immensely. He could feel the heat coming off of her body, and smell the light traces of perfume she was wearing, and realised that he was leaning slightly towards her. He didn't bother to correct his posture.

"I don't know about you two," Rossi began in his guru mountain voice, "but about me it says, 'you're too friggen old for this.'"

Aaron and Emily both laughed as Rossi smiled and took a sip of his single malt scotch. Aaron had barely touched his dark draft of ale, nursing the tall glass in his hands, allowing the cold liquid to calm his nerves. Looking at Emily, he waited for her answer, wondering what she was thinking. She just smiled at him and turned away, again watching their friends at various sections of the bar, enjoying themselves.

Their conversation was full and jovial for a few more minutes, as Rossi slowly drained his glass and glanced at his watch. The entire time Aaron had been stealing his nerves, and each second fought himself to make his move.

"Well kids, it's been fun. But I need to go home. I'm not as young as I once was." Rossi stood from his stool and looked at the rest of the team, a fond smile on his lips. "You remember Dallas don't you Aaron?"

He groaned inwardly, he did remember Dallas, not too well, but he did remember. "Parts."

"What happened in Dallas?" Emily's auburn eyes searched first Rossi's face then, the fell onto Aarons, and they stayed connected. Swallowing thickly, he was about to respond when Rossi patted his shoulder and laughed.

"Before that story comes out, I'll take my leave. Good luck Aaron." The laugh that was thinly disguised by the words did nothing to settle his nerves as once again he was staring Emily in the face. The cool glass was no longer helping him.

"Uh, nothing really all that important." He was trying to be evasive with his words, refusing to say anything more about the subject. But as she placed her hand on his forearm, and gave him a devastating smile, he couldn't help but swallow again. He looked at her hand on his arm, and dragged it up her arm. She was wearing a red, sweater type thing, and he couldn't help but admire the color. Red always looked good on her.

"Come on, you can tell me." Her voice was soothing to him, and he decided that if he at least told the story he could paint the right light on it, rather that if she got the story from Rossi.

_Half the time the world is ending  
__Truth is I am done pretending_

"I tell you this only because I know you'll keep it to yourself." He knew that she would, because he trusted her more than he would care to admit. It was the same kind of trust that he had with Haley at the beginning of their relationship. The absolute trust in another that they wouldn't take your heart and squash it under their heels.

"Of course you can trust me Hotch." She squeezed his forearm and he had to wrestle down the urge to take her into his arms and kiss her senseless.

"It was one of the first cases I worked. Also one of the first cases were they sent us out with a partner. In the beginning of this unit, it was always one guy going out on the road to help. But it was looking to be a bad case in Dallas. They weren't murders, but the unsub was kidnapping woman, raping them and then painting their faces as clowns."

He laughed at the words on of the detectives floated through his head, "I'll never look at a clown the same way." They had laughed then too, knowing that eventually that would run off.

"Anyways we were at 17 victims before we got a good solid lead. All of the women described the same man. Curly red hair, large lips, and kind of heavier set, and all had been raped in the dark." She had an incredulous look on her face as he kept telling the story, matching what they had been thinking at the time. "Anyways, 17 victims in, and finally someone had the bright idea that we were indeed looking for a clown."

She gave him a single laugh, and he smiled her hand still on his forearm, "That isn't even the best part." Her eyebrows rose and she just continued to stare at into his eyes, making him feel even safer telling her the story. "We finally found him, when we got into his house, he had pictures of the victims all over his walls, and he was dressed as a clown. The big oversized shoes, red curly hair, and a large outfit if it was clown, he was wearing it. When we got him cleaned up, he was a tall lean man, with brown hair and normal sized lips." They laughed together, and he was slowly starting to feel better about his ideas to tell her of his feelings.

"Anyways, Rossi and I did the interview, we asked him 'Why did you do these things?' he gave us the most honest, serious look, and said in a very calm voice, 'I thought the world needed to smile more.' I've got to be honest; it was the funniest thing I had ever heard in my entire life." Even now, all these years later he was still laughing.

"So, what does this have to do with being old and partying?"

"After we booked him, the local cops invited us out for a few drinks, and some fun. Well it turns out the story had floated through all of Dallas PD, and tons of cops showed up all dressed as clowns. We'd had a lot to drink, and a lot of fun, anyways when we woke up the next day we were in the hotel room, Rossi was dressed like a clown, and somehow, please don't ask because I really don't remember, my face was painted like a clown"

"Oh my god, really?" Her words sounded incredulous and she was laughing.

"Yeah, and it wouldn't wash off. I found out on the train back home, that Rossi had painted my face, and had laced the paint with permanent ink. It took three weeks to wash off."

She let go of his arm and clapped her hands together and was laughing. The sight and sound caused him to laugh, a deep and throaty laugh he hadn't felt himself make in a long time. After several seconds, when she had finished laughing at him, she rested her arms on the high table and leaned towards him.

"Have you exacted your revenge?" Her voice was a secretive whisper, and he felt himself drawn closer to her, once again inhaling the scent of her perfume. A soft vanilla scent mixed with some cinnamon. He couldn't remember anything that had smelt better in his life.

"Not yet. I don't believe that going blow for blow with David Rossi is exactly a good idea." He winked at her, and she winked back, causing a tower of nerves and shivers falling down his back. His entire body tightened when she was near, and he had to flex his muscles to stretch them out.

"Good point."

_I, never thought that I  
__Had anymore to give  
__You're pushing me so far  
__Here I am without you  
__Drink, to all that we have lost  
__Mistakes we have made  
__Everything will change  
__But, love remains the same_

So far this evening had played out fairly well according to his plan. But as they had been sitting at the table, inclined toward each other heads bent together to listen so words didn't have to be shouted across the table. He'd noticed that his team had been shooting them glances every now and then, probably profiling their actions, and whispering about them, but he found that he didn't care; he liked sitting this way with her.

"Emily, would you like to dance with me?" He'd blurted the words without really thinking about them, and quickly wished he could recall them back. He could feel the blush rising in his cheeks, but that quickly left him as she slid off her stool, and simply smiled at him.

He all but jumped off of his and offered her his hand. Her soft hand slipped into his, and he had the strange feeling that her hand belonged in his. Though he skin was smooth, her palm and fingers had rough calluses from all the range training and practise they did. Hands joined together, they weaved their way onto the crowded dance floor, and soon were moving together.

Aaron could feel the loud heavy beat of the music all through him, and though they were by no means alone, his entire world was focused on the music and the woman whose body was desirably close to his. When he wasn't looking her in the eyes, he scoured over her frame taking her in. Her grey pants clung to her hips and thighs accentuating her small waist and toned legs. The red sweater was skin tight, and if she moved the right way, a small stretch of smooth porcelain skin was revealed along the length of the waistband of her pants. He was mesmerized by that sight, and had to stop himself from openly staring at it.

Suddenly the tempo of the music changed, and in an unfashionable move a slow song came on over the speakers. Panic welled in him, but then the calm cool side of him tampered it down and his body moved of its own volition. He pulled the hands that hadn't let go of each other since she'd first grabbed his close, and wrapped his other arm around her waist, holding her tightly against him. He could feel her hand on his back, her fingers gripping his shirt.

Her head was against his shoulder and he could feel her warm breath play against his neck. As he rested his chin against her hair, he could smell her perfume mix in with her shampoo and he inhaled deeply filling his lungs with the way she smelt.

He didn't know how long they had been moving like that, held together by each other's arms, and again his body was working without conscious though. Slowly, he trailed the hand that had been holding hers up her arm, and up to her cheek. At first, he touched her lightly, not knowing how she would react to his actions. He'd been told by both Morgan and Rossi that she had a thing for him, and that fact had been the last straw on his feelings back, as he decided that she needed to know the turmoil he was in.

Slipping his fingers off of her cheek down to her chin and lifted her head. Slowly she raised her eyes to his, and in them he saw a myriad of emotions, and questions. She swallowed, he swallowed and he saw her eyes drift close and his did the same as he leaned towards her and lightly placed his lips against hers.

The soft, chaste kiss was incredible, and a warning flag shot up in his mind. He shouldn't be kissing her. But it was such a nice thing. The touch lasted no longer than a few seconds, and when he pulled back he wanted nothing more than to pull her back to him and repeat the action for a lot longer.

When he finally opened his eyes, she was looking at him, a slight smile turning up one corner of her mouth, and a million questions written all over her delicate features. Her auburn eyes had darkened to a deep mocha color, and in them he could read the same things he was feelings. Longing, desire, passion and a whole host of other synonyms' floated there. Wither he had projected his own feelings onto her, he wasn't sure, but he liked what he saw, and everything in him was shouting at him to run.

While he had been busy kissing her the music had once again taken up the fast paced tempo it once had, and his fight or flight had kicked in. He'd wanted the woman in his arms for so long, and now that she wasn't running from him he wasn't sure. Though his assurances from his friends told him that she wouldn't run, he had half expected her too. Haley, the only other woman he had kissed had run from him, and he wasn't sure why Emily had stayed.

Flight won out, and he dropped his hands to the side and tried to take a step away from her. He got nowhere as there was a wall of people pressing them towards each other. The urge to run grew strong each passing second as they simply looked one another in the eye. His calm cool demeanour lost, he turned and muscled his way out of the dance floor. Without saying a word to Emily or a goodbye to the rest of the team, he moved as fast as he could without calling attention to himself, and left the bar.

_So much more to say  
__So much to be done  
__Don't you trick me now?  
__We shall overcome  
__So all that's left is praying_

Once outside in the fresh air, everything that had happened in the last five minutes crashed over him, the flight left his body and he wanted to rush back in, and once again take her in his arms. The transformation of emotions was incredible, and had left his body shaking with the rollercoaster they had just shot him through.

Turning quickly, he started towards his apartment, knowing that he had had far too much to drink to drive responsibly. He swore loudly causing a few bystanders to look at him and start to whisper. Berating himself for being a coward he sulked off, hoping that he hadn't just ruined his chance, but knowing that he probably had. Not more than a hundred feet away from the bar, he heard the door open. Deciding that it would be foolish to turn to see if she had followed him, he kept his head down and his feet moving forward.

_But we, should have had the sun  
__We could have been inside  
__Instead we're over here_

"Aaron!" Her voice called his name, and he stopped, hope filling his entire being. He wouldn't have followed him, and he wasn't sure why she was.

He turned and she was slowly walking towards him. The look on her face wasn't murderous revenge, or some other horrible thing, instead he saw the compassion that she so often showered on the victims that they tried to help. He stopped moving and waited the long seconds it took her to reach him.

When she got to him she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his head down to hers and kissed him. He was reeling from the kiss, and slowly, his hands moved once again to her hips.

_Half the time the world is ending  
__Truth is I am done pretending  
__Too much time too long defending  
__You and I are done pretending_

He pulled away first, and looked deep into her eyes. "What was that?"

She kissed him softly again, and pulled away, a large smile spreading her cheeks, and lighting her eyes. Though he was beyond confused, he couldn't help but return her smile, and wrapping his arms more tightly around her waist.

"I know your scared Aaron." He was, more than he wanted to admit. Not for himself, he stood to be hurt sure, but he didn't want to hurt her like he'd hurt Emily. The team would kill him, but more importantly he would kill himself. She'd always been there for him, and he knew that he hadn't done the same thing. _"Yeah, but she still followed you." _The little voice in his head reminded him and he gripped her tighter. She had followed him.

He started to say something, but her finger on his lips stopped him. "Shut up." He nodded her finger still on his lips. He would do anything she asked right about now. "I know that you are scared of letting yourself be loved." She did know him better than he thought. "I won't hurt you Aaron."

She leaned up and kissed him again, her hand cupping his cheek. Returning her kiss, he basked in the fact that she was still there. He didn't know what would become of them, what the future had for them, but he knew that as of this moment he wanted to stay this way forever.

_I, oh I,  
__I wish this could last forever  
__I, oh I,  
__As if we could last forever_

_Love remains the same  
__Love remains the same_

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_**AN2: **For those of you that noticed, Hotch never did tell her how he felt, which I thought was the best way to end. Anyways, there is a second chapter to this. If you want to read it, please let me know._


	2. Chapter 2

_**Disclaimer: **I don't own Criminal Minds. Which is sad. Because then I'd have a top-ten show in Canada, and I would be rich. RICH! Sorry..._

_**AN: **Hey y'all. I had to change the rating for this little gem. You'll see why. I hope you like it. I would love a little bit of this to go on in the show. OMG... you have no idea. _

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"What are we doing Aaron?" Even to her own ears, Emily Prentiss' voice sounded husky and breathless. Though she knew it was for good reason she sounded that way, it was a sound she hadn't heard in a while.

Her body was between drywall and his body, and as his lips moved over her collarbone she received no answer from him. Not that she cared, for her mind was blissfully unaware of what they were doing. His body was pressed flush against hers, his knee between her legs, one of his hands at the back of her head, almost forcefully holding her still. While his other, very large, very strong hand, was resting somewhere very south of what would be deemed decent, also holding her into place.

Again, not that she cared.

Her own hands were also acting of their own volition, roaming the planes of his back or ruffling what was normally immaculately kept hair. The wisps of hair that she was holding were soft and silky, and she had wondered how she had ever got along without running her fingers through it before.

The thoughts she had when in a possibly dangerous position were strange indeed, but again: she didn't care.

His lips were burning a trail of fire over her shoulders and neck, slowly making their way back to hers, where she knew that she would accept his kiss rather hungrily. She had pined after him in this fashion for some while, yet never had her dreams, or fantasies had ever done him justice. Though she wasn't what one would term 'foot-loose and fancy-free' she'd had her share of romantic partners, and so far none had ever evoked in her the feelings that Aaron Hotchner was currently evoking in her.

When she had followed him out of the bar those few hours ago, she hadn't intended to end up in this position. Admittedly the thought had crossed her mind, but it had been a fleeting image. He was, after all, her boss. This was sort of a problem for her. At the same time he was off limits, but he had that forbidden quality about him that made her want him all the more.

It wasn't simply that he was off-limits; she did in fact find him devastatingly attractive, which slightly elevated his forbidden-ness. A cool blend of staid dependability mixed with the dangerousness and mystery of a man with a cold stare and a steadfast dedication to justice.

He kissed rather well too.

When his lips found hers, and he demanded access to her mouth, and she noted that forbidden fruit had never tasted so sweet. He tasted of coffee, and oaken scotch, and she was drowning in his kiss.

After what felt like long hours of beautiful sensations and mind blowing passion, he pulled his head back from her and looked her in the eyes. His soda coloured irises were glowing with what could only be described as wanton lust, and his lips were reddened and swollen with all the work that they had just done.

Lust made him only that much more attractive.

His body was still pressed against hers, and his hands were still on her body, fingertips slightly digging into her, steadfastly holding her against him. She had no desire to move away, yet found that his forcefulness in holding her to him made her want what was happening between them even more.

"What?" His voice, too, was husky and breathless, and it was only with the whispered syllable that her mind kicked back into gear. Looking around, she noticed that they were just inside her apartment. Over his shoulder she could see her large window overlooking the Washington Monument, and the small hallway that lead to the window.

"I don't remember." She didn't. Why had he stopped kissing her? She had said something that much she knew, but for the life of her she couldn't remember what. Looking back into his eyes, it all came rushing back to her. The bar, the dancing, the first soft kiss, JJ and Garcia urging her to follow him, and rushing into his arms, the long walk back, and finally the kiss that had landed them inside her door, bodies pressed against each other.

"I asked what we were doing." His body shifted slightly, and against her hip she could feel the bulge of his pants pressing against her. She was thankful that he desire for him, and this moment couldn't be seen of felt. All she had was the hot pool of desire throughout her core, and seemingly endless electrical current running through her muscles.

"That's a good question." He looked about their surroundings and suddenly his face reddened and he let her body go, and moved away from her. Instantly cold gripped her without his body heat pressed against her and the places where his hands had been screamed for his touch once more.

As he moved away her hands fell to her side, and she placed them against the wall, thankful for its support her knees having grown weak from the connection of his body against hers. Her heart beat pushed out a staccato rhythm as she took in his appearance. Dishevelled hair was strung about every which way; his cerulean oxford un-tucked in places, and his crimson tie was loosened. What shocked her most though was the way his leather belt was partially undone, and over the hem of his pants she could see the elastic waistband of a pair of blue plaid boxers.

A blush rushed her cheeks, and she could feel her ears burning at that realization. Looking down at herself to hide her embarrassment, she felt him move closer to her. His rough, calloused hand gently lifted her chin until she was eye to eye with him. Though he was now touching her again, his body was still several inches away from her and she didn't like the distance one bit. But her embarrassment won out and she stayed put, palms against the wall, holding her balance.

"What's wrong?" Concern etched his voice and face, and she felt the embarrassment slowly leave her. It's not that she was ashamed of what happened between them, quite the opposite really, she was just a little upset with herself that she had been so forward with her actions. Though she didn't actively recall undoing his tie, or belt, the thought that she had done those things in the heat of passion was disconcerting.

Where would they be now if neither of them had any sort of control over themselves. _"In bed." _The small, devious voice in her head shouted.

"Nothing." She lied, hoping that he had forgot profiling in the midst of their encounter. She for sure had. "Nothing at all."

His eyebrow lifted, and a look of total disbelief came onto his face. She knew she was busted, but she didn't say anything. Taking her bottom lip between her teeth she worried it, the motion slightly painful as her lips too, were undoubtedly swollen. His eyes dropped to her lips and he swallowed thickly, the thumb against her cheek rubbing a small circle.

"Does this bother you? Us I mean."

She shook her head quickly, knowing that the thought of the two of them as a single entity was a very pleasing thought.

"I kind of feel I am taking advantage of you." She did. He was vulnerable. She hadn't been with a man in a long time, usually thinking of him whenever another man made a move on her. So she'd held off any romantic encounters until she could see where he was coming from. They shared looks and passing comments that could be read as flirtations.

She knew she flirted with him, she didn't know if he was flirting with her. Usually he was a monotone kind of guy, and in the last three hours he had spoken more to his emotions and feelings through his actions than he had in the first three years she'd known him.

She'd pounced on him like a starving lioness on an antelope. Granted this antelope had a slight limp, and was walking hurt, he was an antelope none the less.

"Why is that?" Up went the eyebrow again, though this time it was accompanied by a small smirk. She had seen the look before, it was the same as the viable donor look. At least that's what JJ had called it. She hadn't realised that he was standing behind her, and then realised that he would be a very viable donor. Luckily, in the moment she had kept her head and lost her dignity, and was able to not voice that thought to him.

"We've been drinking," she was turning into a first rate liar, "You kissed me on the dance floor. I followed you. It's almost like I planned this." She laughed at herself, and was overjoyed when his soft chuckle joined her. At least he was laughing.

"I don't think you're telling me the truth." Damn him. Him and his profiling ability. Reading her like a book. An untruthful book, but an open one to him, none the less.

"Really? And why is that exactly." She tried to stall, visions of rolling through sheets with him, sweat soaked bodies mashed against each other, limbs entwined, bodies writhing. She swallowed again, trying to push those thoughts and visions aside. Thinking like that was making her knees go weak again.

"Because," he started, the deep tones of his voice accentuated through the whisper that was pressed against her ear, sending a cascade of shivers through her spine, "I could always have said no if that were the case."

She swallowed again, worrying her lips some more. He was right, he could have said no, but he hadn't. What did that mean? Did she know? Did she care? His head pulled back from beside hers and once more his face was inches from her, and she lost all tracks of thought. His lips were so close, all she had to do was move her head a little bit, and she would be kissing him again. He had initiated the initial contact on the dance floor. She had kissed him on the street, she didn't know who had kissed who in the hallway.

She didn't know what was going to happen now either. They were having a quiet showdown in her darkened hallway. His hand was pressed against the wall behind her head, and somehow one of her hands had left the wall and had a vice grip on his tie. Though their faces were close, their bodies were still several inches away from each other. Emily noticed how their breathing was in sync, and if she were a betting woman, she would guess that he heart rate would be pushing out the same rhythm his was.

On and on the moment dragged, eyes locked on eyes, bodies tense and taut with expectations of what could happen. It seemed as if the moment would last forever, as if they would spend eternity this way. Locked in a silent battle, facing each other.

It seemed as if suddenly they were back in each other's arms, lips locked onto lips. Hands roamed, legs became entwined, and as if this dance between them was been destined or planned they started moving together.

The journey to her room was filled with frantic pulls at buttons and zippers, the sound of rustling fabric as clothes were dropped to the ground. A dull clunk as shoes were dropped on the floor, and every so often a non-verbal noise was made expressing a satisfaction of what the probing hands and lips were doing.

Never had it taken so long to move from her front door to her bedroom, but that didn't really matter as they fell upon the bed together, lips on lips, limbs entwined and base, primal instincts, and needs, being fulfilled.

**

Peaceful. How she felt at the moment and how her sleep had been could be described with one word. Peaceful. It had been a long while since she'd slept through the night without waking to a nightmare.

Though she hadn't slept through the night, she hadn't been woken by the echoes of her own screams. She'd been woken by the man that was currently sharing her bed.

The sun was shining in through her window, already making its rise into the clear sky. The rays landed upon her face warming her skin, and shedding light on the still sleeping for of her bed mate. The sheet they were both under was barely covering him, not that she minded, offering her a very generous view of his body.

He didn't have the sculpted toned body of Morgan, but his arms and legs were firm, and powerful, and she could vividly recall the tense feeling of the muscles that lurked beneath his skin. His chest and abdomen had definition, the slight outline of a six pack and pectorals visible.

They had made love three times that night. The first wild and crazy, about need and desire rather than something else. It had been short, she knew because of the long time that it had been for either of them. The second, again wild and crazy, passion and desire, but it had been longer, more fulfilling. Those times it had been just about sex. Filling a need they had for each other.

The third was more about the making slow. Still passionate and desire filled, it was soft and gentle, and to Emily it had defined making love. It wasn't about desire, it wasn't about a physical release, and it had been about the emotional side of sex. That essence of losing yourself entirely in the moment of another person in your arms, and your bodies and minds connected.

Shivering at the memories, she rolled onto her side to look at him. In sleep, his face held a peace that she could rarely recall. His handsome features were relaxed, and turned to her as he lay on his stomach, his hand under the pillow.

Content to sit and watch him sleep, she stored the vision of him in her goldenrod sheets, bathed in the sun's rays to memory, hoping that this wouldn't be the last time they would be together like this. She didn't know how long she laid there, a smile on her face, simply watching him, but when he roused, his sleep filled face was so adorable she couldn't help but love.

He raised himself up, and when he opened his eyes the caught hers and she smiled, as he settled onto his side facing her. He returned her smile, and he scooted a little bit closer to her, and still smiled.

"Good morning." His voice was soft, and the peace that had been on his face as he slept still held a small portion of his features, as he still continued to smile. "What are you doing?"

She let a giggle go, and he offered her a chuckle to match, "Watching you sleep."

"For how long?" He was devastatingly sexy normally, but his sleep addled, smiling face combined with the dishevelled hair nearly knocked her down flat. It had been a long time since she woke up to a man in her bed, but never had it been this comfortable.

"A while." She offered him a shy smile, not at all ashamed at being caught.

Instead of saying anything he moved quickly and took her into his arms and kissed her. It was soft, and gentle and added fuel to the fire that was raging in her for a repeat of last night.

He had other plans obviously as he pulled back, smiling. His stomach made a grumbling noise, and they both laughed, still holding onto each other.

"You have food here right?" He looked so youthful and charming as he said the innocent words, she couldn't help but smile.

"Of course," she nodded and added, "I have a coffee maker as well."

He kissed her quickly and rolled away from her and out of the bed. She watched as he put on his boxers and the plain white undershirt he had been wearing. Her eyes followed him as he moved around the bed and sat beside her, placing his arm on her other side, essentially trapping her between his arm and his body. She looked at him, and smiled once more, noticing that his smiled was still in place.

"I'll go start the coffee, then fix you breakfast." He tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, then once again placed a soft kiss on her lips. He stood and left her room, leaving her lying in her bed alone.

She waited until she heard him rummaging around her kitchen before she moved. Putting on some comfortable old clothes, she moved into her bathroom to check her appearance.

Her hair was mussed all over, and her lips were swollen and slightly red. The biggest difference was the radiant smile that had taken up resident on her face. Even she could tell the difference in herself. Running her fingers through the tangled locks of her hair, she moved to join him in her kitchen, marvelling at what a simple kiss could turn into.

* * *

_**AN2: **I'm not so good at the.... smut.... so, um, you'll just have to imagine... or fill in the '**' yourself. I went into a lot more detail than I normally do... which is weird. My ears were burning the whole time, so you'd better like it. Also, I have anynomus reviews turned on. So if your not signed in, or don't have an account, leave me a review anyway. I love reviews. They make me happy._


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